19 July 2017

Legio Pallidus Mor: The Pale Rider

I have had this model on my painting desk for quite some time, but finally got it finished yesterday. This Warhound Scout Titan represents the first Allied Lords of War weapon that I have added to my Epic Blood Angels force. At 275 points it was not too costly. Again from the 40k Fan Site.

The Warhound-class Titan belongs to the smallest class of Imperial Titan, and is used as a scout or as the flanking element of a Titan Legion in conjunction with others of its kind. The Warhound-class Titan is thus the most common form of what is classified as a Scout Titan by the Collegia Titanica.

The Epic 30-40k World is quite complex to the uninitiated but I am slowly starting to understand it. As noted above the Titans serve different Forge Worlds and at the break up of the empire during the Horus Heresy like the Legion Astartes, the Collegia Titanica also split into Traitor and Loyalist factions.

My next decision was what loyalist Titan legion I should pick, as I was running through the lists I came upon the name Legio Pallidus Mor. I had made my decision. More from the 40K Wiki.

The Legio Pallidus Mor is one of the most ancient Titan Legions of the Collegia Titanica and has always been a fervent supporter of the Emperor of Mankind. The Legioparticipated in some of the most gruesome fighting of the Great Crusade, often fighting side-by-side with the grim Astartes of the IV Legion, the Iron Warriors. Within the Pale Riders this is a source of both great pride and great shame: pride for the bloody battles and protracted sieges that eventually led the Iron Warriors to rebel but only deepened the Legio 's resolve and devotion to the Emperor, and shame because they did not call out the change that overcame their allies. It was this shame that led the Pallidus Mor to sequester almost all of its historical data, though they valiantly fought in defence of the Imperium during the Horus Heresy.

Since the great betrayal by their closest allies, the Legio Pallidus Mor's credo has been one of self-reliance, dogged tenacity and grim fatalism. As a Legion, the Pale Riders have never cringed to pay the butcher's bill, and accounts of detachments emerging decimated but victorious from a battle are the very epitome of this mentality. A Princeps of the Pallidus Mor will always march expecting the worst possible outcome. He will not allow himself to be misguided by the vain trappings of honour and fame. He will sacrifice anything, including his life, that of his crew and most important of all, that of his God-engine, if it means securing victory. Perhaps unusually for a Titan Legion, none of the Princeps of the Pallidus Mor are interred in an ammiotic tank but choose to remain close to their human form while commanding their Titan. Additionally, this Legion's Titan crews keep themselves in peak physical condition and undergo regular training and fire-drills to allow them to defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat. As a consequence, each crew-member always carries a side-arm should circumstances dictate the need to fight outside their God-engines or survive alone in the wilds.

Their colours are midnight black and ivory which also attracted me. I just could not get the ivory right so I decided to try a yellow glaze and lo and behold, I got yellow. Not initially what I planned but attractive enough and definitely different the my red coloured Blood Angels. First time I used a glaze, I was quite impressed, I will have to experiment some more with them.